Automotive manufacturers today produce automobiles with many parts that are painted. Body parts such as doors, hoods, trunks, and various panels are painted, typically in the same color for assembly on a single vehicle. In many instances, bumpers are also painted to match the color of the body parts on the vehicle.
Painting of body and bumper parts occurs at various paint application locations throughout the automotive assembly plant. Because parts are painted at different times in different locations using different equipment and paint, variations in the color of painted parts are common. Device and equipment configurations, application techniques, paint parameters and even environmental conditions in each location where parts are painted vary over time and therefore, can affect results. Different materials are used for body (steel) and bumper (plastic) which further contributes to the difficulty of manufacturing an automobile with consistent color.
Mismatches between the colors of body parts and bumpers are typically not discerned until associates on the assembly line install the parts or bumpers on a single vehicle. Associates involved in the assembly process may notice obvious color mismatches such as a red bumper that is provided for installation on a white automobile but they may not notice subtle differences between white parts and bumpers, red parts and bumpers, etc. Even if an associate notices a color mismatch, there may be little opportunity for the associate to correct the problem during the assembly process. The associate may not have access to a substitute part. Even if another part is available, there may be no time or means to change the part. Despite the mismatch, the vehicle may progress on the assembly line to another station where the problem can be addressed by a different team of associates.
Automotive manufacturers employ various procedures for correcting color mismatches during the assembly process but correcting mismatches is more costly to the manufacturer than preventing them from occurring. Preventing color mismatches, however, is difficult. Color mismatches may not be obvious to all observers. Even if a color mismatch is obvious, associates in the assembly plant may not know which process control factors and inputs are causing the mismatches. The paint application locations can make adjustments to a variety of process control factors and inputs (e.g., device and equipment configurations, application techniques, paint mix, and other conditions) to increase the color consistency across body parts and bumpers but determining which adjustments to make and when to make them is difficult. So many variables in the paint application processes influence color consistency, it is virtually impossible to know at any point in time which variables should be adjusted. Paint application associates may be informed of a color mismatch but without additional information about the nature of the mismatch, they may be unable to make any meaningful adjustments to the paint process.
To increase color consistency on automotive body parts and bumpers, automotive manufacturers require better systems and method for detecting color mismatches and adjusting paint application processes to increase color consistency. There is a need for a computerized system and method for analyzing color consistency on automotive parts and for providing feedback on paint application processes occurring in an assembly plant. There is a need for a computerized system and method for analyzing color data across various parts and assisting an associate in determining quantitatively whether color mismatches have occurred or are likely to occur. There is a need for a computerized system and method for measuring variations in color on automotive parts and identifying process control factors may be adjusted to increase color consistency on parts.